Automatic car-brake



(No Model.)

J. S. STERRETT.

AUTOMATIC GAR BRAKE.

No. 360,062. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

AUTOMATIC CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,062, dated March 29, 1887.

. To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB S. STERRETT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Oar-Brakes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part hereof.

The nature of my invention will fully appear from the following specification and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the operative parts of my device to be attached beneath a car; Fig. 2, an end view of a carplatform,showing the brake-handle, reversinglever, and buffer; Fig. 3, an elevation of a cartrnck, showing the brake attachment. Fig. 4. shows detached views of parts of the reversing mechanism; Fig-5, a detached viewof the brake-bar and springs to graduate the pressure of the brakes; Fig. 6, a detached view of the pivoted brake-lever and its supporting-frame; Fig. 7, a broken view showing the under side of one of the heads of the push and draw bars connected with the pivoted brake-lever; Fig. 8, a perspective view of the reversing mechanism.

A, Fig. 1, is the combined buffer and coup ler; B 13, bars for sustaining the spiral springs B B between the two erossheads C G; and l).

D, a push-bar provided with the frame D, the

office of which latter is simply to carry this bar around the pivot which secures the truck to the car.

E E are supports attached to the bottom of the car, and embrace and suspend the pushbar D.

F is a cross-head secured rigidly at its middle to the end of push-bar D, its ends clasping loosely the push-rod G and draw-rod G.

H H is a short double lever, pivoted in the middle and suspended from the bottom of the car by the hanging frame K. (See Figs. 1 and 6.) This lever is rigidly attached upon the upright bar or shaft K. To the lower end of this shaft K is rigidly pivoted the long lever L L. To one end, L, of this long lever is attached the brake-bar J. The outer end of this brake-bar is attached to the brake-lever L, Fig. 3. The other end, L, of the long leveris attached to rod I by a hinge-joint, rod I terminating in a chain which may be wound (No model.)

upon brake'handle 1 (see Fig. 2) in the usual way.

M M are two collars loosely fitting around bar G, and are backed up by a collar, M, rigidly set on bar G.

N is a short lever-arm projecting from collar M, and hinged by a rod, N, to a short lever N, which in its turn is secured rigidly to bar 0. The latter at its outer end is rigidly attached to a lever, O, at the front of the plat form. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 8.) Collar M is pierced with two holes, which receive thelugs O 0 from collar M. (See Figs. 4 and 8.) These lugs, being of greater length than collar M, will project through the latter, as shown in Figs. 1 and S.

P and P are two loose collars 011 bar or rod G, and are backed up by collar P, which is rigidly secured to the forward end of bar G. Collar P isprovided with a short lever, Q, which is joined by connecting-link Q with le ver Q,the latter being connected rigidly with bar 0. Collar P is pierced with two holes similarly to collar M, which receive loosely the two lugs R R. The lugs R R are adapted to be set against one side of cross-bar F, while lugs O 0 are adapted to be set against the opposite side of this bar. (See Figs. 1 and 8.) Bar F is moved forward and backward by the draw and push of rod D. Rods G and G are slotted, as shown in Fig. 7, at their points of attachment to lever H H. The connectingpins move in the slots and permit free movement of the lever H H.

S is the brake-beam bearing the brakeshoes S S, (see Fig. 5,) and is provided with spiral springs T T, set between bar T and the brakebeam. These springs act as cushions to graduate the force or shock of closing the brakes.

The operation of the device is automatic, and is as follows,viz: As the cars of the train come together upon stopping, each buffer A is forced in, and bar D is pushed backward, thus forcing the bar F against lugs O O, This will drive the lugs backward and force collar M against tight collar M, moving rod G back and forcing the ends H and L of the rear levers back, thus pulling on rod J and lever L and closing the brakes. As the train starts, the pressure will be released from lugs O 0, and the brakes will free themselves.

If it is desired to close the brakes when backing,the operation is effected by a sudden stoppage, which throws the cars apart and causes Now, as the train in backing comes to a stop,

the buffer A is drawn out and the pull draws on rod D D and bar F, and the latter pushes against lugs R R, thus drawing on lever G and the H and L ends of the two rear levers so lettered. This will force back the opposite ends of these levers and draw on rod J, closing the brakes, as before. After the train has come to a stop and the brakes are applied, they can be instantly released and prepared for a reverse movement by reversing lever 0, thus freeing the lugs of the collar mechanism, which the bar F has just operated on from the pressure of this bar F. This movement will free the brakes.

On the stopping of the engine drawing the train the buffer will be pressed into its utmost limit,partial1y compressing thesprings,and the only pressure exerted on the brake-shoes will be the force contained in the springs so compressed. It will be observed, therefore, that the whole force exerted to close the brakes is yielding pressure. I am well aware that springs have been heretofore used to graduate the first shock of putting on the brakes where the resultant effective force of closing them was positive; but none of the devices heretofore used have shown a resultant yielding pressure upon the brake-shoes. In my device the springs not only break the first shock referred to, but continue the elastic pressure.

WVhat I claim as new is 1. In an automatic brake mechanism, the combination of buffer A, rod D, and cross-bar F, the latter being adapted to be drawn back and forth by the inward push or outward draw from the buffer, and connected by levers with the brake mechanism L to close the brake-shoes against the wheels, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic brake mechanism, the combination of buffer A, rod D, cross-bar F, the latter being adapted to be drawn back and forth by the push and draw of the buffer and moving upon rods G G, the latter being hinged to the lever H Hto move brake-rod J back and forth, collars M M M and P l? P", set upon said rods and provided with lugs O and R, the whole arranged and operating sub stantially as described.

3. In an automatic brake mechanism, the combination of buffer A, rod D, cross-bar F, the latter adapted to be drawn backward and forward by the action of the buffer, and mount-. ed on rods G G, the latter being hinged to the lever H H to move brake-rod J, collars M M M and P l? P, set upon said rods and provided with lugs O and R, levers N N and Q Q, and rod 0', connected and arranged substantially as and for the purposes described.

J AGOB S. STERRETT.

\Vitnesses:

WM. H. CARSON, H. V. BUOKLEY. 

